Oil palm biomass an alternative raw material for MDF —MPOB

KUALA LUMPUR: The medium-density fibreboard (MDF) manufacturing industry can now opt for oil palm biomass as an alternative raw material, says the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
MPOB said the oil palm biomass technology was crowned as the Gold Medal Winner and the Special Award Winner by the Korean Institute of Patent Information at the Seoul International Invention Fair 2015 and the “Best of The Best” Award Winner during the Malaysia Technology Expo 2015.

Traditionally fed by the rubberwood sector, MDF manufacturers can now opt for oil palm biomass to produce the board which has become a key component for the furniture and construction industries, MPOB said in a statement here today.

MPOB Director-General Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May said: “Oil palm biomass, which is abundant and competitively priced, works out to be the best alternative for the raw material to produce MDF.” MPOB, through its biomass unit, has discovered that oil palm trunks share similar fibre quality as those from rubberwood and tropical trees.
As such, the oil palm biomass fibre is a suitable component to produce MDF that meets commercial standards, according to the statement.
The MPOB biomass technology for MDF production is set to improve the sector as it will assist industry players in their operations through cost savings and steady supply of raw materials, it added. —Bernama